On Thursday, new court documents were released concerning the controversial case of 2-year-old Tinslee Lewis, who has been fighting for her life against Texas’ 10-day rule at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth since she was 9 months old.

“[Tinslee’s] doctors have consistently told Trinity [Tinslee’s mother] that she is doing better than they expected. And [Tinslee] has improved,” said the motion from the Lewis’ lawyers. Trinity stated that the hospital sits Tinslee “up in a wheelchair most days.”

According to Texas Right to Life, the 10-day rule allows a hospital committee to end “life-sustaining care” even if the patient—or his or her legal surrogate—objects.

“I have seen firsthand with many families the destruction this law has on innocent Texans,” Texas Right to Life attorney Emily Cook told Texas Scorecard in 2020. “I am beyond excited for Tinslee, her mother, and every other vulnerable patient in Texas that the judicial system is seeing what legislators for years could not: This law is a blatant violation of due process rights and unconstitutional delegation of life-and-death power by the state to private entities.”

The 10-day countdown for Tinslee was set to expire on November 10, 2019. However, pro-life attorneys were able to secure a temporary restraining order to protect her life, allowing patient advocacy for Tinslee and her family until they were able to have a court hearing on November 22, 2019.

In response to the news on Thursday, Texas Right to Life Director of Media and Communication Kimberlyn Schwartz stated: “Tinslee’s life is a miracle, and she proves that every day! Look at this evidence and see for yourself how she is improving.”

Texas Right to Life concluded, “Cook Children’s planned to pull the plug on Baby Tinslee in November 2019 and stated under oath that she would certainly die by May 2020. Now, 544 days after the countdown imposed by the 10-day rule expired, Tinslee has proven them wrong.”

Iris Poole

Iris Poole is a 2021 Texas Scorecard Fellow from Round Rock. She is freedom-loving and had an early interest in liberty and politics.

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